Videoconferencing and other forms of virtual collaboration allow the real-time exchange of video, audio, and other data among systems in remote locations. This real-time exchange of data often occurs over a computer network in the form of streaming video and audio data. Many systems can establish media streams at the beginning of an event, but cannot transition smoothly to new configurations as various systems enter or leave an event.
Additionally, numerous methods have been devised to connect systems with identical or substantially compatible capabilities. However, managing events involving systems with differing capabilities is substantially more difficult. For example, few existing methods for event configuration adequately negotiate media connections among heterogeneous systems. Those systems that require user input to establish connections detract from the collaborative experience. Other systems can establish connections automatically, but base media support on sometimes erroneous assumptions of the capabilities of participating systems.
One established protocol, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), allows systems to negotiate media connections among multiple devices. However, SIP does not consider the relationships among media streams in order to maintain virtual relationships among participants. Moreover, SIP does not communicate the availability of advanced capabilities which would support optimal media connections.
Current virtual collaboration systems do not adequately support systems with varying levels of functionality or allow dynamic reconfiguration of participating systems without interruption of an event in progress. They also lack support for the establishment of consistent virtual relationships among participating systems.